.wo 



ENGLAND. 



HhMrr. 



nitn die 



en r uiulcr 

 hu domi- 



A. U. 799. 



different states Tied with each other in maintaining the 

 ascendency over the rest ; and all th. -lint ambi- 



tion, treachery, or war could bring upon a people, was 

 iT.menee of their fierce content:. . A detail 

 of their quarrels would neither be interesting nor in- 

 structive ; indeed, the barbarous and credulous annalists 

 of that age have so obscured the various events and re- 

 volutions of the Hcptirchy by their exaggerations, that 

 it would l>e impossible to produce any thing like a par- 

 ticular and continued narrative. It is sufficient to know, 

 that, after al>ove '200 years of almost continual unimo-ity 

 between the different kingdoms, Egbert, king of \\ r-- 

 sex, by his prudence and valour, united them into one 

 great stale. 



>rt was of the royal family of Wrssex, and a 

 newer heir to the throne than Brithric, the reigning 

 monr rch His talents -and promising \irtucs h.id i \- 

 cited the jealousy of Brithric ; and he was forced to re- 

 tire into France, where, at the court of Charlemagne, he 

 acquired those accomplishments which enabled him to 

 prosecute, with such success, his schemes of conquest 

 and aggrandisement. On the death of Brithric, hi 

 called to the throne by the unanimous voice of his 

 countrymen. His first efforts were directed against the 

 Britons of Cornwall, whom he defeated in several en- 

 gagements ; but he was stopt in his progress by the in- 

 telligence, that Bernulf, king of Mercia, had invaded 

 his dominions Egbert met him at Ellandun in Wilt- 

 shire, and defeated him with great slaughter. Kent, 

 and East Anglia, which had been subdued by 

 the Mercians, became the prey of the victors ; and 

 Merci.i itself was soon compelled to acknowledge the 

 authority of Egbert. He allowed Wiglef, a Mercian, 

 to retain the title, while he himself' exercised the powers 

 of a sovereign. The Northumbrians submitted upon the 

 same conditions. Sussex had formerly been united 

 to Wessex ; uiid thus Egbert became sole monarch of 

 England about the year 827. 



Tranquillity and union being now restored to the 

 kingdoms of the Heptarchy by the conquests of Egbert, 

 and firmly united under the dominion of this fortunate 

 and warlike prince, they promised themselves the en- 

 joyment of a permanent peace. But scarcely had Eg- 

 bert established and regulated his infant monarchy, 

 when a new enemy unexpectedly appeared on the coast. 

 F.njrland in- \ swarm of barbarians from the shores of the Baltic, 

 under the names of Danes and Normans, had filled the 

 western countries of Europe with slaughter and devas- 

 tation. Their first appearance in England was in the 

 year 787. They afterwards made a descent upon Nor- 

 thumberland, where, being attacked by the inhabitants, 

 they were defeated, and all put to the sword. They now 

 entered the Thames, and having plundered the Isle of 

 Shepey, retired without molestation. In 833, they 

 landed a formidable army in Dorsetshire, where, being 

 met by Eg'^rt at Cliarmouth, they were routed with 

 dreadful slaughter; and about two years after, being 

 joined by the Britons of Cornwall, they made another 

 it upon Devonshire, where they were again defeat- 

 ed by Egbert at I !i : ;_ -down. 



But the death of Egbert was the signal for new and 

 titm>i e* tlie TTlore formidable irruptions. His son and suri 



Ethelwolf, Mas unable to stem the torrent of invasion. 

 A. D. 838. He had neither the valour nor abilities of his father ; 

 and l?gnn his reign by weakening the vigour of his 

 gov< ; assigning part of his territories to his .son 



Athelstan. The domestic dissensions which might have 

 been the consequence of this partition of dominion, was 



D. 8*7. 



MM IN 



!, !)., 



F.lhelwolf 



prevented by the continual dread tinder which the Hittorjr. 

 whole kingdom was held by the inroads of the Danes. S "T~ - ' 



-idcivd secure from their att 



When icpulsed in one quarter, they made their ap)-ar- 

 ance in another, ravaging and destroying wherever they 

 came ; and carrying ofl to their ships, goods cattle, and 

 even the inhabitants. Though often < 'hey 



were not di '. but always returned with increas- 



ing numbers, till, after some years of various success, 

 i inly established themselves in the isles of Thanct 

 and" Shepey, from whence they made frequent and 8UC- 

 i incursions into the neighbouring counties. Du- 

 ring this distraction of public allairs, tin- piety of Ethel- 

 wolf carried him to Home, where he remained about .1 

 year. He there bestowed many presents upon the 

 principal ecclesiastic- of that city ; and m.-ule an anru >1 

 grant of 3(X) manciise' to the see of itome, for pious 

 purposes. On his return, he found himself almost i x- 

 cluded from his throne. His eldest son, AtlicNtan, had 

 died during his absence; and his second son. Kthellvild, 

 had not only assumed the government of his brother's 

 dominions, but had formed the design of remo\ in 

 lather from a station which his weakness and supersti- 

 tion had rendered him so ill qualified to till. A civil Rcrignspart 

 war, however, was prevented, by Ethelwolf resigning f the king- 

 the western part of the kingdom to his son. and retain- 'J 

 ing the eastern part to himself. Affairs l>eing thus 

 amicably adjusted, he convoked the states of the whole 

 kingdom, and yielding to the importunities of the 

 clergy, conferred upon them a perpetual grant of 

 tythes, for which they had long contended : and exempt- 

 ed them at the same time from all public burdens what- 

 ever. 



Ethelwolf survived this transaction only two years ; EtbdbaU 

 and by his will, divided his dominions between his two f"" 1 Kl 

 eldest" sons, Ethclbald and Ethelbcrt. The reign of 

 the former was short and licentious. Kthclbert then A. D. 857. 

 became sole master of the kingdom, n<l go\crncil in a 

 manner more worthy of his birth. He was succeeded 

 by his brother Ethered, in 866. 



The Danes still continued their irruptions ; and the Ethcrcd. 

 valour of Ethered, and his brother Alfred, who attend- 

 ed him in all his enterprises, was unable to stop their 

 ravages. Encouraged by some partial successes, end 

 the assistance they received from the East Angl> 

 they now left the sea coast, and penetrated into the in- 

 terior. They took up their winter quarters at Notting- 

 ham, but being dislodged from thence by the English 

 monarch and his brother, they retired to Northumber- 

 land. They next established themselves .-it II. ailing, 

 from whence they issued to the battles of Aston and 

 Basing. In the former, the English were victorious ; 

 in the latter, the Danes prevailed, and Ethered. having 

 received a mortal wound, bequeathed the sceptre to his 

 brother Alfred. 



When Alfred ascended the throne, he was only 22 Alfred the 

 years of age. He had accompanied his father Ethel- <"** 

 wolf in his pilgrimage to Hon.e, and on a second visit 

 to that city, it is said, tlvat, fiom the genius and pru- 

 dence which he then displayed, Pope Leo lll.progiu 

 ticated his future greatness, and even gave him the 

 royal unction. His reign began with war. The Da: 

 had overrun the kingdom, and treated the inhabit;, 

 willi the re.ilcst cruelty and; corn. They had forti- 

 fied posts, and built castles for the defence of their bor- 

 ders, and the whole country was in some measure 

 covered with their redoubts. Alfred, in his first en- 

 gagement, near Wilton, was compelled to retire before 



